B2B Leads: 7 Ways to Generate Them Online

B2B Leads – Quality Trumps Quantity?

– Lest you think online marketing?isn’t?essential for generating B2B leads, consider these statistics from HubSpot?s?recent survey of companies using Inbound Marketing:

• Website traffic increases for 92% of companies using Inbound Marketing.

• 40% of those see increases of 75%+.

• 2/3 of companies using Inbound Marketing?see increased traffic within just four months.

How Are You Doing with B2B Lead Gen?

Of course “quality trumps quantity” when it comes to B2B leads. But Inbound Marketing enables extremely detailed targeting that allows you to reach even the tiniest B2B niche audiences. Leads are better-qualified, because they?re already interested in your company or products. You want to generate leads from potential customers at every level within your sales funnel. And you can.

How?

Take full advantage of Inbound Marketing. You can not only exactly target your audience members, you can deliver exactly what they?re looking for, how and when they want it. Here are 7 proven ways to generate quality B2B Leads:

1. SEO ?

Your website is the cornerstone of your inbound marketing for B2B leads. It sets the tone and serves as?both launch pad and landing area for virtually all your online efforts. Search engine optimization is critical for gathering leads, because if people can?t quickly find your site and your content through search, you?re doomed.

83% of searchers never look
past the first page of results.

Ongoing keyword research and how you use your blog, social media and other online techniques all contribute to top-notch SEO.

2. Your Blog

Aside from your website itself, a blog is the most effective way to attract attention from your various target audiences. Simultaneously build your brand and your reputation as a trusted resource and industry thought leader. Use your blog to educate your B2B leads.

3. Written Materials

E-books, whitepapers, tip sheets and case studies all provide valuable information that ?takes prospects beyond mundane data and drives home your value proposition. You can provide in-depth information or tell real-life stories that personalize your company and products. You?re providing both ?ammunition? and confidence to support each prospect?s decision to buy.

4. Visuals

Not everyone wants to read a document, no matter how scintillating or concise. Photos of your products in action instantly illustrate their value. And short videos are ideal for providing how-to information or webinars, or sharing interviews with industry thought leaders or your own internal experts.

5. Group Up

Partner with complementary businesses with similar target markets to co-promote and cross-promote. It?s an efficient twist on sharing that builds your credibility as well as increasing your visibility to B2B leads.

6. Social Media

LinkedIn is a must for B2B companies and key personnel. LinkedIn is a great source for B2B leads.

Carve out some space on Twitter and YouTube, perhaps even Facebook. And consider up-and-coming sites like Pinterest?or Quora. You can join relevant groups and communities as well as maintaining your own company presence.

Remember that social media requires participation, not just posting, to generate good leads. But since you can interact with both customers and colleagues, the value of social media doubles.

7. Pay-to-Play

When your purchase cycle is long and your average ticket is high, paid search can deliver a high ROI for B2B leads. Paid online advertising such as PPC or banners can be very effective. It?s a good idea to get professional assistance to navigate the complexities, but results can be well worth the effort. Paid distribution services such as PR Newswire?can help get the word out about company news, etc.

B2B Leads Come From Quality Content

No matter which of these methods you use to generate online B2B leads ? and you should consider using all of them — well-crafted Content that?s compelling and immediately useful encourages prospects to come back or keep clicking for more. They?re yours for the nurturing, ready and interested to become customers and loyal fans for life.

To Learn More about Inbound Marketing: